The American war in Vietnam was so much more than the sum of its battles. To make sense of it, we must look beyond the conflict itself. We must understand its context and, above all, the formative experiences, worldview, and motivations of those who devised communist strategies and tactics. Vietnam's American War, now in its second edition, remains a story of how and why Hanoi won. However, this revised and expanded edition offers more extensive and nuanced insights into Southern Vietnamese history, politics, and society. It puts to rest the myth of Vietnamese national unity by documenting the myriad, profound local fractures exacerbated by US intervention. It also includes over thirty-five new images intended to highlight that the Vietnam War was, fundamentally, a Vietnamese civil war and tragedy. This new edition is as richly detailed as it is original, eye-opening, and absorbing.

Introduction: Why Vietnam Matters; 1. From Dai Viet to the August Revolution; 2. Civil and Colonial War, 1945-1954; 3. Interwar Period, 1954-1965; 4. Americanization, 1965-1968; 5. De-Americanization, 1968-1973; 6. Endings, 1973-1975; Epilogue: Legacies.